Circuits, devices and methods for bypassing voltage regulation in voltage regulators

ABSTRACT

Circuits, devices, and method for bypassing voltage regulation in voltage regulators. A voltage regulator may include a duty cycle component configured to determine whether a duty cycle of the voltage regulator is greater than a threshold duty cycle. The voltage regulator may also include a first sensing component configured to determine whether an output voltage of the voltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage. The voltage regulator may further include a regulating component, coupled to the duty cycle component and the first sensing component, the regulating component configured to pass an input voltage to the output of the voltage regulator based on a first determination that the duty cycle is greater than the threshold duty cycle and a second determination that the output voltage of the voltage regulator is less than the first threshold voltage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/019,021 filed Jun. 30, 2014, entitled CIRCUITS, DEVICES AND METHODSFOR BYPASSING VOLTAGE REGULATION IN VOLTAGE REGULATORS. The contents ofeach of the above-referenced application(s) are hereby expresslyincorporated by reference herein in their entireties for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure generally relates to voltage regulators and/orwireless communication systems that include voltage regulators.

2. Description of Related Art

A voltage regulator may receive an input voltage and may regulate theinput voltage to generate an output voltage. For example, the voltageregulator may maintain a constant output voltage when the input voltagevaries. When the input voltage drops below a certain voltage, the dutycycle of the voltage regulator may increase (e.g., may increase to aone-hundred percent duty cycle). When the voltage regulator operates athigher duty cycles, the voltage regulator may generate more noise and/ormay use more power.

SUMMARY

In some implementations, the present disclosure relates to a voltageregulator including a duty cycle component configured to determinewhether a duty cycle of the voltage regulator is greater than athreshold duty cycle. The voltage regulator also includes a firstsensing component configured to determine whether an output voltage ofthe voltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage. Thevoltage regulator further includes a regulating component, coupled tothe duty cycle component and the first sensing component, the regulatingcomponent configured to pass an input voltage to the output of thevoltage regulator based on a first determination that the duty cycle isgreater than the threshold duty cycle and a second determination thatthe output voltage of the voltage regulator is less than the firstthreshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the regulating component is further configured toregulate the output of the voltage regulator based on a thirddetermination that the duty cycle is less than or equal to the thresholdduty cycle or a fourth determination that the output voltage of thevoltage regulator is greater than or equal to the first thresholdvoltage.

In some embodiment, the voltage regulator may further include a secondsensing component coupled to the regulating component, the secondsensing component configured to determine whether the input voltage ofthe voltage regulator is greater than a second threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the regulating component is further configured toregulate the output of the voltage regulator based on a fifthdetermination that the input voltage of the voltage regulator is greaterthan the second threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the second threshold voltage is greater than thefirst threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the first sensing component includes a firstcomparator.

In some embodiments, the second sensing component includes a secondcomparator.

In some embodiments, the first comparator is coupled to the output ofthe voltage regulator and a reference component.

In some embodiments, the second comparator is coupled to the output ofthe voltage regulator and the reference component.

In some embodiments, the regulating component includes ametal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

In some embodiments, the MOSFET is configured to pass the input voltageto the output of the voltage regulator or to regulate the output of thevoltage regulator.

In some implementations, the present disclosure relates to an electronicdevice including a voltage source configured to provide an inputvoltage. The electronic device also includes a voltage regulator coupledto the voltage source, the voltage regulator including a duty cyclecomponent configured to determine whether a duty cycle of the voltageregulator is greater than a threshold duty cycle, a first sensingcomponent configured to determine whether an output voltage of thevoltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage, and aregulating component, coupled to the duty cycle component and the firstsensing component, the regulating component configured to pass the inputvoltage to the output of the voltage regulator based on a firstdetermination that the duty cycle is greater than the threshold dutycycle and a second determination that the output voltage of the voltageregulator is less than the first threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the regulating component is further configured toregulate the output of the voltage regulator based on a thirddetermination that the duty cycle is less than or equal to the thresholdduty cycle or a fourth determination that the output voltage of thevoltage regulator is greater than or equal to the first thresholdvoltage.

In some embodiments, the voltage regulator further includes a secondsensing component coupled to the regulating component, the secondsensing component configured to determine whether the input voltage ofthe voltage regulator is greater than a second threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the regulating component is further configured toregulate the output of the voltage regulator based on a fifthdetermination that the input voltage of the voltage regulator is greaterthan the second threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the second threshold voltage is greater than thefirst threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the first sensing component includes a firstcomparator.

In some embodiments, the second sensing component includes a secondcomparator.

In some embodiments, the first comparator is coupled to the output ofthe voltage regulator and a reference component.

In some embodiments, the second comparator is coupled to the output ofthe voltage regulator and the reference component.

In some embodiments, the regulating component includes ametal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

In some embodiments, the MOSFET is configured to pass the input voltageto the output of the voltage regulator or to regulate the output of thevoltage regulator.

In some implementations, the present disclosure relates to a method foroperating a voltage regulator. The method includes determining whether aduty cycle of the voltage regulator is greater than a threshold dutycycle. The method also includes determining whether an output voltage ofthe voltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage. The methodfurther includes passing an input voltage to the output of the voltageregulator based on a first determination that the duty cycle is greaterthan the threshold duty cycle and a second determination that the outputvoltage of the voltage regulator is less than the first thresholdvoltage.

In some embodiments, the method further includes regulating the outputof the voltage regulator based on a third determination that the dutycycle is less than or equal to the threshold duty cycle or a fourthdetermination that the output voltage of the voltage regulator isgreater than or equal to the first threshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining whether theinput voltage of the voltage regulator is greater than a secondthreshold voltage.

In some embodiments, the method further includes regulating the outputof the voltage regulator based on a fifth determination that the inputvoltage of the voltage regulator is greater than the second thresholdvoltage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a voltage regulator, according toone embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example voltage regulator 100,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example table, according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example timing configuration thatmay be implemented in an example voltage regulator, according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process for operating avoltage regulator having one or more features as described herein,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example electronic device,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a voltage regulator and a voltagedetection module, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example voltage regulator,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts an example wireless device 900 having one or moreadvantageous features described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The headings provided herein, if any, are for convenience only and donot necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

Disclosed are non-limiting examples of systems, devices, circuits and/ormethods related to techniques for regulating an input voltage togenerate an output voltage. Such techniques may be implemented in, forexample, voltage regulators. Although described in the context ofvoltage regulators, it will be understood that one or more features ofthe present disclosure may also be utilized in other applications.

Described herein are examples of how to operate a voltage regulator whenthe input voltage of the voltage regulator and/or the duty cycle of thevoltage regulator varies. In one embodiment, the voltage regulator maymonitor the duty cycle, the input voltage and/or the output voltage ofthe voltage regulator. The voltage regulator may provide the inputvoltage to an output of the voltage regulator (e.g., bypass one or morecomponents of the voltage regulator that regulate the input voltage) ormay regulate the input voltage based on the input voltage, the outputvoltage, and/or the duty cycle. Although described in the examplecontext of a voltage regulators, it will be understood that one or morefeatures of the present disclosure may also be utilized in other typesof voltage regulation applications.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a voltage regulator 100 accordingto one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, thevoltage regulator 100 may be a component that may maintain a constantoutput voltage level. The voltage regulator 100 may be used to regulateone or more alternating current (AC) and/or direct current (DC) voltagesto generate an output voltage. A voltage regulator may also be referredto as a switching regulator. Examples of voltage regulators may include,but are not limited to, a buck regulator, a boost regulator, abuck-boost regulator, etc. The voltage regulator 100 includes aregulating component 105, a duty cycle component 115, a first sensingcomponent 120, and a second sensing component 125.

The voltage regulator 100 is coupled to a voltage source 110. Thevoltage source 110 may provide an input voltage to the voltage regulator100 and the voltage regulator 100 may generate an output voltage usingthe input voltage from the voltage source 110. In one embodiment, thevoltage regulator 100 may regulate the input voltage received from thevoltage source 110 to generate the output voltage. For example, thevoltage regulator 100 may regulate the input voltage provided by thevoltage source 110 by generating a fixed output voltage that may remainconstant regardless of changes to the input voltage and/or loadconditions of the voltage regulator 100. In one embodiment, theregulating component 105 may regulate the input voltage to generate theoutput voltage. The fixed output voltage of the voltage regulator 100may also be referred to as a target voltage or a regulated voltage. Theoutput voltage may be provided to other components, circuits, devices,etc., via an output of the voltage regulator 100. For example, theoutput of the voltage regulator 100 may be coupled to a power amplifier(PA) and the voltage regulator may provide the output voltage to the PA.

In one embodiment, the voltage regulator 100 may regulate the inputvoltage provided by the voltage source 110 to generate the outputvoltage when the output voltage (generated by the voltage regulator) isgreater than or equal to a first threshold voltage (as discussed in moredetail below). The first sensing component 120 may detect and/ordetermine whether the output voltage is greater than or equal to thefirst threshold voltage. In another embodiment, the voltage regulator100 may regulate the input voltage provided by the voltage source 110 togenerate the output voltage when the duty cycle (e.g., the percentageand/or amount of time the voltage regulator 100 is operating) is below athreshold duty cycle (as discussed in more detail below). The duty cyclecomponent 115 may detect and/or determine whether the duty cycle isbelow the threshold duty cycle. In a further embodiment, the voltageregulator 100 may pass the input voltage provided by the voltage source110 to the output of the voltage regulator without regulating the inputvoltage when the duty cycle of the voltage regulator 100 is greater thanthe threshold duty cycle and the output voltage is less than the firstthreshold voltage (as discussed in more detail below). In oneembodiment, when the voltage regulator passes the input voltage to theoutput of the voltage regulator, the components of the voltage regulator100 that regulate the input voltage (e.g., portions or components of theregulating component 105) may cease operating to save power and/or toreduce noise. In one embodiment, the voltage regulator 100 may resumeregulating the input voltage provided by the voltage source 110 when theinput voltage is greater than or equal to a second threshold voltage (asdiscussed in more detail below). In one embodiment, when the voltageregulator resumes regulating the input voltage, the components of thevoltage regulator 100 that regulate the input voltage may resumeoperation. The second sensing component 125 may detect and/or determinewhether the input voltage is greater than or equal to the secondthreshold voltage.

In one embodiment, the duty cycle of the voltage regulator 100 mayincrease as the input voltage approaches the target or regulated voltageof the voltage regulator 100. When the input voltage drops to thetarget/regulated voltage or lower, the duty cycle of the voltageregulator 100 may increase (e.g., may increase to a one-hundred percentduty cycle). When the voltage regulator 100 operates at higher dutycycles, the voltage regulator 100 may generate noise (which may affectthe operation and/or performance of other circuits, components, devices,etc.) and/or may use (e.g., consume) more power. Allowing the voltageregulator 100 to pass the input voltage (received from the voltagesource 110) to the output of the voltage regulator (e.g., allowing thevoltage regulator 100 to bypass one or more components of the voltageregulator that regulate the input voltage) when the input voltage isbelow the first voltage threshold and when the duty cycle is above theduty cycle threshold may allow the voltage regulator 100 to generateless noise and/or use (e.g., consume) less power. For example, when theoutput voltage is below the first voltage threshold and when the dutycycle is above the duty cycle threshold, the regulating component 105may not regulate the input voltage (e.g., the components of theregulating component that regulate the input voltage may ceaseoperation).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example voltage regulator 100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As discussedabove, the voltage regulator 100 may be coupled to a voltage source(e.g., voltage source 110 illustrated in FIG. 1) and the voltage sourcemay provide an input voltage VIN to the voltage regulator 100. Also asdiscussed above, the voltage regulator 100 may regulate the inputvoltage VIN (e.g., an alternating current (AC) and/or direct current(DC) voltage) to generate an output voltage VOUT (e.g., a target voltageor a regulated voltage) and/or may pass the input voltage VIN to theoutput of the voltage regulator 100 (e.g., may bypass the regulatingcomponent 105 and may provide the input voltage VIN directly to theoutput of the voltage regulator 100). The example voltage regulator 100includes a regulating component 105. The regulating component 105 may becoupled to a switch 201, an oscillator 205, duty cycle component 115,and an inverter 240.

The duty cycle component is coupled to a logical component 230 (e.g., anAND gate or any device, component, circuit, etc., that may implement alogical conjunction). In one embodiment, the duty cycle component 115may monitor the duty cycle (e.g., the percentage and/or amount of timethe regulating component 105 is operating or regulating the inputvoltage VIN) of the regulating component 105. The duty cycle component115 may produce a signal S1 having a logic high state when the dutycycle of the regulating component 105 is greater than or equal to athreshold duty cycle. For example, the duty cycle component 115 mayproduce a signal S1 having a logic high state (e.g., a “1”) when theduty cycle of the regulating component 105 is greater than or equal to85%, 90%, 100%, etc. The duty cycle component 115 may produce a signalS1 having a logic low state (e.g., a “0”) when the duty cycle of theregulating component 105 is less than the threshold duty cycle. Forexample, the duty cycle component 115 may produce a signal S1 having alogic low state when the duty cycle of the regulating component 105 isless than 85%, 90%, 100%, etc.

The logical component 230 is also coupled to a comparator 220. Thecomparator 220 may be an example of a sensing component. In otherembodiments, a sensing component may be any combination of devices,circuits, modules, components, etc., that may be used to determinewhether a first voltage is greater than a second voltage. The comparator220 is coupled to a first resistor divider 224 and a reference component210. A first resistor divider 224 may include a first resistance 222(e.g., a resistor or any component, device, circuit, etc., that mayimplement electrical resistance) and a second resistance 223 (e.g., aresistor or any component, device, circuit, etc., that may implementelectrical resistance) connected in series through node 221. The secondresistance 223 may be coupled to a ground so as to form a resistordivider circuit. The first and second resistance values (of the firstresistance 222 and the second resistance 223, respectively) may or maynot be the same. Configured in such an example manner, the outputvoltage VOUT may be divided down by the first resistor divider 224 toproduce a proportionally smaller voltage F1 at node 221. The referencecomponent 210 may generate a first threshold voltage R1 and may providethe first threshold voltage R1 to the comparator 220. The firstthreshold voltage R1 may also be referred to as a dropout voltage. Inone embodiment, the dropout voltage may be a voltage at which thevoltage regulator 100 is no longer able to regulate the input voltageVIN.

In one embodiment, the comparator 220 may compare the voltage F1 withthe first threshold voltage R1. When F1 is less than R1, the comparator220 may produce a signal S2 having a logic high state (e.g., a “1”).When F1 is greater than or equal to R1, the comparator 220 may produce asignal S2 having a logic low state (e.g., a “0”). In one embodiment, thelogical component 230 may produce a signal S3 based on the signal S1 andthe signal S2. The logical component 230 may produce a signal S3 havinga logic high state when both the signal S2 and the signal S3 have alogic high state. For example, the logical component 230 may produce asignal S3 having a logic high state when the output voltage VOUT is lessthan the first threshold voltage and the duty cycle is greater than orequal to the threshold duty cycle. The logical component 230 may producea signal S3 having a logic low state when one or more of the signal S2and the signal S3 have a logic low state. For example, the logicalcomponent 230 may produce a signal S3 having a logic low state when theoutput voltage VOUT is greater than or equal to the first thresholdvoltage and/or the duty cycle is less than the threshold duty cycle.

The comparator 225 is coupled to a second resistor divider 229 and thereference component 210. The comparator 225 may be an example of asensing component. In other embodiments, the sensing component may beany combination of devices, circuits, modules, components, etc., thatmay be used to determine whether a first voltage is greater than asecond voltage. The second resistor divider 229 may include a firstresistance 227 (e.g., a resistor or any component, device, circuit,etc., that may implement electrical resistance) and a second resistance228 (e.g., a resistor or any component, device, circuit, etc., that mayimplement electrical resistance) connected in series through node 226.The second resistance 228 may be coupled to a ground so as to form aresistor divider circuit. The first and second resistance values (of thefirst resistance 227 and the second resistance 228, respectively) may ormay not be the same. Configured in such an example manner, the inputvoltage VIN may be divided down by the second resistor divider 229 toproduce a proportionally smaller voltage F2 at node 226. The referencecomponent 210 may generate a second threshold voltage R2 and may providethe second threshold voltage R2 to the comparator 225. In oneembodiment, the comparator 225 may compare the voltage F2 with the firstthreshold voltage R2. When F2 is less than R2, the comparator 225 mayproduce a signal S4 having a logic low state (e.g., a “0”). When F2 isgreater than or equal to R2, the comparator 225 may produce a signal S2having a logic high state (e.g., a “1”).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the logical component 230 and the comparator225 may be coupled to flip-flop 235. In one embodiment, the flip-flop235 may be an SR flip-flop. In other embodiments, other types offlip-flops and/or other devices, components, circuits, etc., which arecapable of retaining a current state may be used. The logical component230 may provide the signal S3 to the flip-flop 235 and the comparator225 may provide the signal S4 to the flip-flop 235. The flip-flop 235may generate a signal S5 based on the signals S3 and S4 (received fromthe logical component 230 and the comparator 225, respectively). Forexample, when the signal S3 has a logical low state (e.g., a “0”) andthe signal S4 has a logical low state, the flip-flop 235 may generate asignal S5 having a logical low state. In another example, when thesignal S3 has a logical high state and the signal S4 has a low highstate, the flip-flop 235 may generate a signal S5 having a logical lowstate. In a further example, when the signal S3 has a logical high stateand the signal S4 has a logical high state, the flip-flop 235 maygenerate a signal S5 having a logical high state.

The flip-flop 235 is coupled to an inverter 240. The inverter 240 mayinvert (e.g., flip or reverse) the signal S5 received from the flip-flop235 to generate the signal S6. For example, if the signal S5 has alogical high state, the inverter 240 may invert the signal S5 togenerate a signal S6 with a logical low state. In another example, ifthe signal S5 has a logical low state, the inverter 240 may invert thesignal S5 to generate a signal S6 with a logical high state.

As discussed above, the inverter 240 is coupled to the regulatingcomponent 105. The regulating component 105 may use the signal S6(received from the inverter 240) to determine whether the regulatingcomponent 105 should pass the input voltage VIN to the output of thevoltage regulator 100 (e.g., bypass the regulation of the input voltageVIN) or regulate the input voltage VIN to generate the output voltageVOUT. For example, the regulating component 105 may regulate the inputvoltage VIN when the output voltage VOUT is greater than or equal to thefirst threshold voltage. In another example, the regulating component105 may regulate the input voltage VIN when the duty cycle of thevoltage regulator 100 is below a threshold duty cycle. In a furtherexample, the voltage regulator 100 may pass the input voltage providedby the voltage source 110 to the output of the voltage regulator 100without regulating the input voltage when the duty cycle of the voltageregulator 100 is greater than the threshold duty cycle and the outputvoltage VOUT is less than the first threshold voltage. In one embodimentthe components of the regulating component 105 that regulate the inputvoltage may cease operating to save power and/or to reduce noise whenpassing the input voltage VIN to the output. In yet another example, thevoltage regulator 100 may resume regulating the input voltage providedby the voltage source 110 when the input voltage is greater than orequal to a second threshold voltage.

In one embodiment, the regulating component 105 may use the switch 201to pass the input voltage VIN to the output of the voltage regulator 100or to regulate the input voltage VIN to generate the output voltageVOUT. For example, when the regulating component 105 determines that theoutput voltage VOUT is greater than or equal the first threshold voltageand/or the duty cycle of the voltage regulator 100 is below a thresholdduty cycle, the regulating component 105 may configure the switch 201such that the input voltage VIN is provided to the regulating component105 so that the regulating component 105 may regulate the input voltageVIN. In another example, when the regulating component 105 determinesthat the input voltage VIN is less than the first threshold voltage andthe duty cycle of the voltage regulator 100 is greater than or equal tothe threshold duty cycle, the regulating component 105 may configure theswitch 201 such that the input voltage VIN is passed to the output ofthe voltage regulator (e.g., such that the input voltage VIN bypassesthe portions of the regulating component 105 that regulate the inputvoltage VIN and is provided directly to the output of the voltageregulator 100). In a further example, after configuring the switch 201to provide the input voltage VIN to the output of the voltage regulator100 (e.g., to bypass the regulating component 105), the regulatingcomponent 105 may configure (or reconfigure) the switch 201 such thatthe input voltage VIN is provided to the portions of the regulatingcomponent 105 that regulate the input voltage VIN when the regulatingcomponent 105 determines that the input voltage VIN is greater than orequal to a second threshold voltage. In one embodiment, the componentsof the regulating component 105 that regulate the input voltage VIN mayresume operation when the input voltage VIN is greater than or equal toa second threshold voltage.

In one embodiment, the switch 201 may be a P-channelmetal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). In otherembodiments, the switch 201 may be another type of MOSFET (e.g., anN-channel MOSFET). In further embodiments, the switch 201 may be anycombination of devices, components, circuits, etc., that may be used toselectively pass the input voltage VIN to the output of the voltageregulator or to provide the input voltage VIN to the portions of theregulating component 105 that regulate the input voltage VIN.

The voltage regulator 100 also includes an inductance 202 that may becoupled to the output of the switch 201. The inductance 202 may beprovided by an inductor, by some or all of the path to the output of thevoltage regulator 100, or some combination thereof. The inductance 202may be configured to build energy as it charge the output to yield theoutput voltage VOUT to the output of the voltage regulator.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example table 300. The table 300 mayillustrate the operation of a voltage regulator (e.g., the voltageregulator 100 illustrated in FIG. 2) when the voltage regulator operatesat different duty cycles and generates different output voltages (VOUT).The table 300 includes three columns. The first column is labelled “DUTYCYCLE,” the second column is labelled “THRESHOLD VOLTAGE” and the thirdcolumn is labelled “REGULATE.” Each row of the table 300 may indicatewhether the voltage regulator will regulate the input voltage VIN fordifferent duty cycles and VOUT voltages.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first row of the table 300 may indicatethat when the duty cycle of the voltage regulator is less than 100% andthe output voltage VOUT of the voltage regulator is greater than orequal to a threshold voltage (VREG), the voltage regulator may regulatethe input voltage VIN to generate the output voltage VOUT. The secondrow of the table 300 may indicate that when the duty cycle of thevoltage regulator is equal to 100% and the output voltage VOUT of thevoltage regulator is greater than or equal to a threshold voltage(VREG), the voltage regulator may regulate the input voltage VIN togenerate the output voltage VOUT. The third row of the table 300 mayindicate that when the duty cycle of the voltage regulator is equal to100% and the output voltage VOUT of the voltage regulator is less than athreshold voltage (VREG), the voltage regulator may not regulate theinput voltage VIN. For example, the voltage regulator may bypassportions of a regulating component of the voltage regulator and/or mayprovide the input voltage VIN to the output of the voltage regulator.

Although the table 300 illustrates a threshold duty cycle of 100%, inother embodiments, other threshold duty cycles may be used. For example,a threshold duty cycle of 75% may be used or a threshold duty cycle of95% may be used.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example timing configuration 400that may be implemented in the example voltage regulator 100 of FIG. 2.The X-axis of the timing configuration 400 may represent differenttimes. The Y-axis of the timing configuration may represent differentvoltages. The timing configuration 400 includes a line VIN which mayrepresent the changes to an input voltage of the voltage regulator overtime. The timing configuration 400 also includes a line VOUT which mayrepresent the changes to an output voltage of the voltage regulator overtime. The timing configuration 400 also includes lines R1 and R2 whichmay indicate a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage,respectively. The timing configuration further includes lines T0, T1,T2, T3, and T4 which may indicate different points in time along theX-axis of the timing configuration 400.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the input voltage begins to drop at time T0.In one embedment, the voltage regulator is regulating the input voltageVIN to generate the output voltage VOUT prior to the time T0. At timeT1, the output voltage beings to drop. Although the output voltage VOUTmay be based on the input voltage VIN, the output voltage VOUT begins todrop at a later time (e.g., at time T1 instead of at time T0). Thevoltage regulator begins to operate at a 100% duty cycle at time T1. Thevoltage regulator may operate at a 100% duty cycle because the voltageregulator may be continuously regulating the input voltage VIN becausethe input voltage VIN has dropped. Also as illustrated in FIG. 4, theoutput voltage VOUT may track the input voltage VIN. For example, theoutput voltage VOUT may drop at the same rate as the VIN voltage. In oneembodiment, the difference between the output voltage VOUT and the inputvoltage VIN may be the summed resistance of a switch (e.g., switch 201illustrated in FIG. 2) and an inductor (e.g., inductances 202illustrated in FIG. 2) that may be provided between the input of thevoltage regulator and the output of the voltage regulator. At time T2,the voltage output voltage drops to the threshold voltage R1. Thethreshold hold R1 may be referred to as a dropout voltage for thevoltage regulator. In one embodiment, at time T2, the voltage regulatormay be configured to pass the input voltage VIN to the output of thevoltage regulator (e.g., may be configured to bypass portions of theexample regulating component illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 that regulatethe input voltage VIN). For example, referring back to FIG. 2, theregulating component 105 may configure the switch 201 such that theinput voltage VIN is provided to the output of the voltage regulator 100(e.g., provided directly to the output of the voltage regulator 100). Asdiscussed above, the portions of the regulating component that regulatethe input voltage VIN may cease operating (e.g., may be turned off orshut down) to save power and/or to reduce the amount of noise generatedby the voltage regulator.

At time T3, the input voltage VIN begins to increase. In one embodiment,although the input voltage VIN is increasing, the voltage regulator maycontinue to pass the input voltage VIN to the output of the voltageregulator until the input voltage is greater than or equal to the secondthreshold voltage R2. This may allow the voltage regulator to avoidfrequently switching between regulating the input voltage and passingthe input voltage to the output (e.g., bypassing a regulatingcomponent). At time T4, the input voltage VIN is greater than equal tothe second threshold voltage R2. In one embodiment, the voltageregulator may resume regulating the input voltage VIN to generate theoutput voltage VOUT at time T4. For example, referring back to FIG. 2,the regulating component 105 may configure the switch 201 such that theinput voltage VIN is provided to the regulating component 105 so thatthe regulating component 105 may regulate the input voltage VIN. Asdiscussed above, the portions of the regulating component that regulatethe input voltage VIN may resume operating (e.g., may be turned on). Asillustrated in FIG. 4, the voltage regulator operates at a 100% dutycycle between times T1 and T4 and operates at less than a 100% dutycycle between times T0 and T1 and after time T4.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process 500 for operating avoltage regulator having one or more features as described herein,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 505, thevoltage regulator may determine whether the voltage regulator shouldcontinue to operate. For example, the voltage regulator may determinewhether an electronic device that includes the voltage regulator isstill operating or has been shut off or turned off by a user. If thevoltage regulator should not continue to operate, the process 500 ends.If the voltage regulator should continue to operate, the output voltageof the voltage regulator is detected at block 510. At block 515, thevoltage regulator may determine whether the output voltage of thevoltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage. For example,referring back to FIG. 2, a first comparator may determine whether theoutput voltage VOUT is less than the voltage R1. If the output of thevoltage regulator is not less than the first threshold voltage, thevoltage regulator regulates the input voltage at block 520. After block520, the process 500 may proceed to block 505.

If the output of the voltage regulator is less than the first thresholdvoltage, the voltage regulator may determine whether the duty cycle ofthe voltage regulator is greater than or equal to a threshold duty cycle(e.g., is greater than or equal to 75%, 80%, 90%, 100%, etc.). Forexample, a duty cycle component (as illustrated in FIG. 2) may analyzethe duty cycle of the voltage regulator. If the duty cycle of thevoltage regulator is not greater than or equal to a threshold duty cycle(e.g., is less than the threshold duty cycle), the voltage regulator mayregulate the voltage at block 520. If the duty cycle of the voltageregulator is greater than or equal to a threshold duty cycle, thevoltage regulator may pass the input voltage to the output of thevoltage regulator at block 530 (e.g., may bypass the portions of theregulating component that regulate the input voltage).

At block 535, the voltage regulator may determine whether the inputvoltage of the voltage regulator is greater than or equal to a secondthreshold voltage. For example, referring back to FIG. 2, a secondcomparator may determine whether the input voltage VIN is greater thanor equal to the voltage R2. If the input voltage is greater than orequal to the second threshold voltage, the voltage regulator mayregulate the input voltage at block 520. If the input voltage is lessthan the second threshold, the voltage regulator may determine whetherthe voltage regulator should continue to operate at block 540. If thevoltage regulator should continue operating the voltage regulator maycontinue to pass the input voltage to the output at the voltageregulator at block 530 (e.g., continue to bypass one or more componentsof the voltage regulator that regulate the input voltage). If thevoltage regulator should not continue operating, the process 500 ends.

In one embodiment, blocks 505 and/or blocks 540 may be optional. Forexample, the voltage regulator may perform the process illustrated inFIG. 5 (without blocks 505 and/or 540) until an electronic device thatincludes the voltage regulator is shut down (e.g., is turned off orpowered off).

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example electronic device 600according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Examples ofelectronic devices may include, but are not limited to, a cellularphone, a smart-phone, a hand-held wireless device with or without phonefunctionality, a tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), a network computer, a wireless device,etc. The electronic device 600 includes a voltage source 110 (e.g., abattery and/or a component, a device, a circuit, etc., that is coupledto an external power source such as a plug), a voltage regulator 100 andan electronic component 605.

The electronic component 605 may be any combination of devices,components, circuits, and/or other hardware that may use power (e.g., avoltage) received from the voltage source 110. Examples of electroniccomponents may include, but are not limited to, memory (e.g., randomaccess memory (RAM), flash memory, etc.), circuits or components thatmay process audio, power amplifiers (PAs), image sensors (e.g.,charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and/or complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) devices), etc.

As discussed above, the voltage regulator 100 may regulate an inputvoltage received from the voltage source 110 and/or may pass the inputvoltage to the electronic component 605. In one embodiment, the voltageregulator 100 may regulate the input voltage provided by the voltagesource 110 to generate the output voltage when the output voltage(generate by the voltage regulator) is greater than or equal to a firstthreshold voltage (as discussed above). In another embodiment, thevoltage regulator 100 may regulate the input voltage provided by thevoltage source 110 to generate the output voltage when the duty cycle isbelow a threshold duty cycle (as discussed above). In a furtherembodiment, the voltage regulator 100 may pass the input voltageprovided by the voltage source 110 to the output of the voltageregulator without regulating the input voltage when the duty cycle ofthe voltage regulator 100 is greater than the threshold duty cycle andthe output voltage is less than the first threshold voltage (asdiscussed above). In yet another embodiment, the voltage regulator 100may resume regulating the input voltage provided by the voltage source110 when the input voltage is greater than or equal to a secondthreshold voltage (as discussed above).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a voltage regulator 700 and avoltage detection module 702 according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The voltage detection module includes a duty cycle component715, a first sensing component 720, a second sensing component 725, anda regulating component 705. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the voltagedetection module 702 may be separate from the voltage regulator 700 andmay be coupled to the voltage regulator 700.

In one embodiment, the voltage regulator 700 may regulate an inputvoltage received from a voltage source and/or may pass the input voltageto an output of the voltage regulator based on the signals, messages,bits of data, etc., received from the voltage detection module 702. Forexample, the voltage detection module 702 may provide one or moresignals to the voltage regulator 700 indicating that the voltageregulator 700 should regulate an input voltage when the first sensingcomponent 720 determines that the output voltage (generated by thevoltage regulator) is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage(as discussed above). In another example, the voltage detection module702 may provide one or more signals to the voltage regulator 700indicating that the voltage regulator 700 should regulate an inputvoltage when the duty cycle component 715 determines that the duty cycleis below a threshold duty cycle (as discussed above). In a furtherexample, the voltage detection module 702 may provide one or moresignals to the voltage regulator 700 indicating that the voltageregulator 700 should pass the input voltage to the output of the voltageregulator 700 when the duty cycle component 715 determines that the dutycycle of the voltage regulator 700 is greater than the threshold dutycycle and when the first sensing component 720 determines that theoutput voltage is less than the first threshold voltage (as discussedabove). In yet another example, the voltage detection module 702 mayprovide one or more signals to the voltage regulator 700 indicating thatthe voltage regulator 700 should resume regulating the input voltageprovided by the voltage source when the second sensing component 725determines that the input voltage is greater than or equal to a secondthreshold voltage (as discussed above).

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example voltage regulator 800,according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The voltageregulator 800 may be included as part of an integrated circuit (IC)device or system such as a power management integrated circuit (PMIC)806. The voltage regulator 800 is shown to include a regulatingcomponent 805, a first sensing component 820, a second sensing component825, and a duty cycle component 815 having one or more features asdescribed herein.

In some embodiments, the PMIC 806 of FIG. 8 may be implemented on asingle chip, and may include one or more voltage regulators and one ormore linear regulators. In some embodiments, such a PMIC may beconfigured to be used in devices including, for example, wirelessdevices such as cellular phones, or any devices that utilize voltageregulators. In other embodiments, the voltage regulator 800 may beimplemented as a standalone discrete device (e.g., may be separate fromthe PMIC 806).

In some implementations, a device and/or a circuit having one or morefeatures described herein may be included in an RF device such as awireless device. Such a device and/or a circuit may be implementeddirectly in the wireless device, in a modular form as described herein,or in some combination thereof. In some embodiments, such a wirelessdevice may include, for example, a cellular phone, a smart-phone, ahand-held wireless device with or without phone functionality, awireless tablet, etc.

FIG. 9 depicts an example wireless device 900 having one or moreadvantageous features described herein. In some embodiments, atransceiver 914 may be configured and operated to generate RF signals tobe amplified and transmitted, and to process received signals. One ormore power amplifiers (PAs) 916 may receive their respective RF signalsfrom the transceiver 914 and amplify such RF signals for transmission.The amplified outputs of the PAs 916 are shown to be matched (via one ormore matching circuits 915) and routed to an antenna 924 via theirrespective duplexer(s) 920 and an antenna switch module (ASM) 922.

In some embodiments, the duplexer(s) 920 may allow transmit and receiveoperations to be performed simultaneously using a common antenna (e.g.,924). As illustrated in FIG. 9, received signals are shown to be routedto one or more “RX” paths that may include, for example, one or morelow-noise amplifiers (LNAs) 917. Received signals amplified by theLNA(s) 917 are shown to be routed to the transceiver 914 for furtherprocessing.

In FIG. 9, the transceiver 914 is shown to interact with a basebandsub-system 910 that is configured to provide conversion between dataand/or voice signals suitable for a user and RF signals suitable for thetransceiver 914. The transceiver 914 is also shown to be connected to apower management component 906 that is configured to manage power forthe operation of the wireless device.

The baseband sub-system 910 is shown to be connected to a user interface902 to facilitate various input and output of voice and/or data providedto and received from the user. The baseband sub-system 910 may also beconnected to a memory 904 that is configured to store data and/orinstructions to facilitate the operation of the wireless device, and/orto provide storage of information for the user.

In the example of FIG. 9, the power management component 906 may beimplemented as a PMIC that includes a voltage regulator 905 a having oneor more features as described herein. In some embodiments, a voltageregulator 905 b having one or more features as described herein may alsobe implemented as a standalone device outside of the PMIC.

A number of other wireless device configurations may utilize one or morefeatures described herein. For example, a wireless device does not needto be a multi-band device. In another example, a wireless device mayinclude additional antennas such as diversity antenna, and additionalconnectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

The present disclosure describes various features, no single one ofwhich is solely responsible for the benefits described herein. It willbe understood that various features described herein may be combined,modified, or omitted, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill.Other combinations and sub-combinations than those specificallydescribed herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill, and areintended to form a part of this disclosure. Various methods aredescribed herein in connection with various flowchart steps and/orphases. It will be understood that in many cases, certain steps and/orphases may be combined together such that multiple steps and/or phasesshown in the flowcharts may be performed as a single step and/or phase.Also, certain steps and/or phases may be broken into additionalsub-components to be performed separately. In some instances, the orderof the steps and/or phases may be rearranged and certain steps and/orphases may be omitted entirely. Also, the methods described herein areto be understood to be open-ended, such that additional steps and/orphases to those shown and described herein may also be performed.

Some aspects of the systems and methods described herein mayadvantageously be implemented using, for example, computer software,hardware, firmware, or any combination of computer software, hardware,and firmware. Computer software may include computer executable codestored in a computer readable medium (e.g., non-transitory computerreadable medium) that, when executed, performs the functions describedherein. In some embodiments, computer-executable code is executed by oneor more general purpose computer processors. A skilled artisan willappreciate, in light of this disclosure, that any feature or functionthat may be implemented using software to be executed on a generalpurpose computer may also be implemented using a different combinationof hardware, software, or firmware. For example, such a module may beimplemented completely in hardware using a combination of integratedcircuits. Alternatively or additionally, such a feature or function maybe implemented completely or partially using specialized computersdesigned to perform the particular functions described herein ratherthan by general purpose computers.

Multiple distributed computing devices may be substituted for any onecomputing device described herein. In such distributed embodiments, thefunctions of the one computing device are distributed (e.g., over anetwork) such that some functions are performed on each of thedistributed computing devices.

Some embodiments may be described with reference to equations,algorithms, and/or flowchart illustrations. These methods may beimplemented using computer program instructions executable on one ormore computers. These methods may also be implemented as computerprogram products either separately, or as a component of an apparatus orsystem. In this regard, each equation, algorithm, block, or step of aflowchart, and combinations thereof, may be implemented by hardware,firmware, and/or software including one or more computer programinstructions embodied in computer-readable program code logic. As willbe appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loadedonto one or more computers, including without limitation a generalpurpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmableprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the computerprogram instructions which execute on the computer(s) or otherprogrammable processing device(s) implement the functions specified inthe equations, algorithms, and/or flowcharts. It will also be understoodthat each equation, algorithm, and/or block in flowchart illustrations,and combinations thereof, may be implemented by special purposehardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions orsteps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer-readableprogram code logic means.

Furthermore, computer program instructions, such as embodied incomputer-readable program code logic, may also be stored in a computerreadable memory (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium) thatmay direct one or more computers or other programmable processingdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructionsstored in the computer-readable memory implement the function(s)specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s). The computer programinstructions may also be loaded onto one or more computers or otherprogrammable computing devices to cause a series of operational steps tobe performed on the one or more computers or other programmablecomputing devices to produce a computer-implemented process such thatthe instructions which execute on the computer or other programmableprocessing apparatus provide steps for implementing the functionsspecified in the equation(s), algorithm(s), and/or block(s) of theflowchart(s).

Some or all of the methods and tasks described herein may be performedand fully automated by a computer system. The computer system may, insome cases, include multiple distinct computers or computing devices(e.g., physical servers, workstations, storage arrays, etc.) thatcommunicate and interoperate over a network to perform the describedfunctions. Each such computing device typically includes a processor (ormultiple processors) that executes program instructions or modulesstored in a memory or other non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium or device. The various functions disclosed herein may be embodiedin such program instructions, although some or all of the disclosedfunctions may alternatively be implemented in application-specificcircuitry (e.g., ASICs or FPGAs) of the computer system. Where thecomputer system includes multiple computing devices, these devices may,but need not, be co-located. The results of the disclosed methods andtasks may be persistently stored by transforming physical storagedevices, such as solid state memory chips and/or magnetic disks, into adifferent state.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “include,” “including,”“comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in aninclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that isto say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” The word“coupled”, as generally used herein, refers to two or more elements thatmay be either directly connected, or connected by way of one or moreintermediate elements. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,”“below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application,shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particularportions of this application. Where the context permits, words in theabove Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may alsoinclude the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or” inreference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of thefollowing interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, allof the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.The word “exemplary” is used exclusively herein to mean “serving as anexample, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described hereinas “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, the terms “first,”“second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., as used herein are meant as labels todistinguish among different elements and may not necessarily have anordinal meaning according to their numerical designation.

The disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementationsshown herein. Various modifications to the implementations described inthis disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, andthe generic principles defined herein may be applied to otherimplementations without departing from the spirit or scope of thisdisclosure. The teachings of the invention provided herein may beapplied to other methods and systems, and are not limited to the methodsand systems described above, and elements and acts of the variousembodiments described above may be combined to provide furtherembodiments. Accordingly, the novel methods and systems described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods andsystems described herein may be made without departing from the spiritof the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents areintended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within thescope and spirit of the disclosure.

1. A voltage regulator comprising: a duty cycle component configured todetermine whether a duty cycle of the voltage regulator is greater thana threshold duty cycle; a first sensing component configured todetermine whether an output voltage of the voltage regulator is lessthan a first threshold voltage; and a regulating component, coupled tothe duty cycle component and the first sensing component, the regulatingcomponent configured to pass an input voltage to the output of thevoltage regulator based on a first determination that the duty cycle isgreater than the threshold duty cycle and a second determination thatthe output voltage of the voltage regulator is less than the firstthreshold voltage.
 2. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein theregulating component is further configured to regulate the output of thevoltage regulator based on a third determination that the duty cycle isless than or equal to the threshold duty cycle or a fourth determinationthat the output voltage of the voltage regulator is greater than orequal to the first threshold voltage.
 3. The voltage regulator of claim1 further comprising a second sensing component coupled to theregulating component, the second sensing component configured todetermine whether the input voltage of the voltage regulator is greaterthan a second threshold voltage.
 4. The voltage regulator of claim 3wherein the regulating component is further configured to regulate theoutput of the voltage regulator based on a fifth determination that theinput voltage of the voltage regulator is greater than the secondthreshold voltage.
 5. The voltage regulator of claim 4 wherein thesecond threshold voltage is greater than the first threshold voltage. 6.The voltage regulator of claim 4 wherein the first sensing componentcomprises a first comparator.
 7. The voltage regulator of claim 6wherein the second sensing component comprises a second comparator. 8.The voltage regulator of claim 7 wherein the first comparator is coupledto the output of the voltage regulator and a reference component.
 9. Thevoltage regulator of claim 8 wherein the second comparator is coupled tothe output of the voltage regulator and the reference component.
 10. Thevoltage regulator of claim 1 wherein the regulating component comprisesa metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
 11. Thevoltage regulator of claim 10 wherein the MOSFET is configured to passthe input voltage to the output of the voltage regulator or to regulatethe output of the voltage regulator.
 12. An electronic devicecomprising: a voltage source configured to provide an input voltage; anda voltage regulator coupled to the voltage source, the voltage regulatorincluding a duty cycle component configured to determine whether a dutycycle of the voltage regulator is greater than a threshold duty cycle, afirst sensing component configured to determine whether an outputvoltage of the voltage regulator is less than a first threshold voltage,and a regulating component, coupled to the duty cycle component and thefirst sensing component, the regulating component configured to pass theinput voltage to the output of the voltage regulator based on a firstdetermination that the duty cycle is greater than the threshold dutycycle and a second determination that the output voltage of the voltageregulator is less than the first threshold voltage.
 13. The electronicdevice of claim 12 wherein the regulating component is furtherconfigured to regulate the output of the voltage regulator based on athird determination that the duty cycle is less than or equal to thethreshold duty cycle or a fourth determination that the output voltageof the voltage regulator is greater than or equal to the first thresholdvoltage.
 14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the voltageregulator further comprises a second sensing component coupled to theregulating component, the second sensing component configured todetermine whether the input voltage of the voltage regulator is greaterthan a second threshold voltage.
 15. The electronic device of claim 14wherein the regulating component is further configured to regulate theoutput of the voltage regulator based on a fifth determination that theinput voltage of the voltage regulator is greater than the secondthreshold voltage.
 16. The electronic device of claim 15 wherein thesecond threshold voltage is greater than the first threshold voltage.17-22. (canceled)
 23. A method for operating a voltage regulator, themethod comprising: determining whether a duty cycle of the voltageregulator is greater than a threshold duty cycle; determining whether anoutput voltage of the voltage regulator is less than a first thresholdvoltage; and passing an input voltage to the output of the voltageregulator based on a first determination that the duty cycle is greaterthan the threshold duty cycle and a second determination that the outputvoltage of the voltage regulator is less than the first thresholdvoltage.
 24. The method of claim 23 further comprising regulating theoutput of the voltage regulator based on a third determination that theduty cycle is less than or equal to the threshold duty cycle or a fourthdetermination that the output voltage of the voltage regulator isgreater than or equal to the first threshold voltage.
 25. The method ofclaim 23 further comprising determining whether the input voltage of thevoltage regulator is greater than a second threshold voltage.
 26. Themethod of claim 25 further comprising regulating the output of thevoltage regulator based on a fifth determination that the input voltageof the voltage regulator is greater than the second threshold voltage.